Francesco said ‘ breakfast at 8 and be ready by 8.45’ we were to be escorted to the boat on day 1. After that. We’re trusted to walk.
Down to the marina we met Eduardo our boat captain. He’s a typical young Italian man. Very tanned, bald head, chain necklace, vape folded into his fist and a cheeky attitude.
Francesco outlined the day and away we went.
About 30 minutes later the boat stopped in a sheltered bay. We did our orientation swim where they look at our speed and later give us our groups.
I could have saved them time looking at me. I knew I’d be in the slow group and I’m happy to be.
I’m surprised so many wear fins. I’ve always loved mine. I think the group is mostly over 60. There are two sister here with their mum. They’ll be fast.
We swam around 1.5 km maybe more and then stopped for lunch on the boat.
Lunch made by Eduardo’s mum was a huge pasta salad and done cold meats and cheese. Just perfect for swimmers.
The afternoon swim was much longer in our groups. I’m with Beth, Kaz and Steve
We made a tight little group and I was happy with how I swam. It worked out at around 3.5.
Back to the boat harbour it was buzzing and we headed for the nearest bar. We needed a beer after all the salt.
Steve and I headed out for dinner around 7.30 – the others went off in their groups. It would be nice to start being more included.
Back in Rusper our friends have hosted an open garden for the village church.
And today our last day we are dressing in our garden party clothes and drinking G& T in the garden.
Our hostess Marie France
The weather is beautiful….. English style. Started out grey and cleared to blue skies by the middle of the day.
The guests arrived. Some walked from the village. Some drove from as far as London just over an hour away.
We had an hour and a half before we scrambled up the airport.
Gatwick is like all big airports. Lots of people and long walks up the gate. Ours was a good ten minutes of constant walking.
Then the theatre began. An announcement telling us boarding was delayed. That we had a full flight and there wouldn’t be room in overhead lockers for all the carry on bags. They offered free under plane storage and early boarding if people volunteered to check in their bags.
3 people came forward. Then a rather forceful lady started walking around the gathering line of people pulling out some and asking them to put their bags in the size measuring contraption.
It was actually quite funny watching grown men and women trying to cram oversized bags into the frame. If they didn’t fit they went to one side. Check in!
A women sitting near us tried to hide her rather heavy looking bag, a big back pack and handbag. She did it and later boarded!
We then sat on the tarmac waiting for take off. An hour later we did.
Arriving into Turin it was still light so we dropped our bags and headed out for a late dinner. Another salad Nicoise for me.
Next morning a long train ride up Lerici. We’re staying with our niece for 3 nights.
An early start for Ros and David who left Bath for St Ives.
Steve and I sorted our bags and cleared the apartment and were on the road by 9
The next few days we are wandering the Cotswolds. People love this area. There are always debates about which is the cutest villages.
I will run my own survey !
First up Castle Combe. A very small village, it was quiet apart from a few meandering tourists.
This tiny village was used in the movie War Horse and there was a display about this in the local church
I’d heard about Painswick from two people. One was a lecturer in my arts group who lectured for ArtsNational last year. She lives there and recommended a visit.
The second is one of the therapy girls, Donna whose rugby-0playing son played the the region and lived in Painswick.
It’s beautiful. The Main Street is narrow with some lovely shops. The side streets have beautiful houses, an arts centre with a good cafe, a church in a large park with lines of trees. Donna told me 99 trees were planted there.
The local cafe in the arts canteen was buzzing. Lots of lovely local ladies meeting for coffee and lunch. They chatted in what to me sounded like posh English accents and were dressed very ladylike.
The Painswick hotel was recommended for afternoon tea…… and is as lovely as it looked – but we had cute villages to see.
Painswick Hotel
Next stop Nailsworth. A lovely Main Street.
Studeley Castle and Gardens sounded great so we drove down narrow lanes to get there only to find out it was closed. We’ll have to come back.
It was time for Stow on the Wold. Our room for two nights is in The Porch – reported to be the oldest inn in England. Well I’m not sure if that fact, but it’s old. Up and down steps, low doorways, beams, old lights, dark common rooms but very comfortable rooms. Ours overlooked the small park opposite.
Porch House
We walked up the Main Street to the town square. Beautiful old honey coloured buildings. Lots of city shops, including a 3 story antique shop. So much in there. So well organised! My friend Ginetta would love it.
Steve heading for the antique centre. And the car.
I found the town library. Modern looking inside a very old building. I think this village might be right up there with the best of the Cotswolds. Certainly consider this as a base for exploring the area.
The gardens of the Cotswolds are renowned. Mondays most are closed so we missed the famous Rococo gardens in Painswick and Studeley. Today we stoped at the old market town of Burton and bought a few things. And headed for Bourton Gardens.
The beautiful house was closed to the public but the gardens are open
The house and a small section of the garden.
We loved it. The white garden was stunning, and the way the garden was laid out was fascinating.
Another thing that is common to many UK gardens is the over planting. In Australia we tend to plant more sparingly. Here it almost looks crowded.
Nearby was the railway museum. Naturally Steve wanted to visit there. By luck the old steam train was about to leave.
The old steam train
Finally got to Studeley house and gardens. It was important during the reign of Henry V111 and is now maintained by the present owner and its priority is living in harmony with the animals of the world. Hence the elephants in the gardens
Our second day of wandering the Cotswolds took us up to Broadway – probably one of the best for a base with it’s lovely pubs, restaurants, shops etc. – very pretty place. It was hosting an arts festival when we were there. Lots of painters in the streets.
Broadway
Then Bourton Upon Water. Again soooo pretty but suffering a little from tourists so losing its small village feel
Bourton Upon Water
Burford a lovely medieval village. Chipping Norton home to the car man …… Jeremy Clarkson.
Then into Oxford. Very grand buildings, very crowded. Full of students flying around in their gowns. It’s exam time and they must wear their gown with a flower on the lapel.
I went to an Art Society lecture at Magdalen College. Similar to my ArtsNational lectures. It was great meeting people from Oxford who follow the arts.
Jo Watson the lecturer.
And our final morning was spent at the lovely Oxford Botanical Gardens. A very interesting garden with an excellent’Plants as medicine ‘ section. Well labelled. And a literary section
The literary table. You are invited to sit , reflect and write something. A lovely idea.
At the end of the day a beautiful lunch in a small village pub on our way back to Bill and Marie France in Rusper.
Our big day started with two pop up performances in the bust Sunday crowds of Bath.
People must wonder who are these people singing in the streets. Dressed in Soul Song t shirts and occasionally chanting Aussie Aussie Aussie. Which I find a bit embarrassing. We’re not a sporting team!
But it does identify us as Australians. And then people are interested!
We had two shows today. 2pm and 7pm. They didn’t attract the crowds that Brighton did but went off very well. And we had fun.
The choir travelled today. On the bus by 9 we left in drizzly rain. We are supposed to be doing several pop up performances but if it rains there will be no audience.
First stop was for a Bansky street art ! A busy artist his work pops up everywhere.
Banksy in Bristol
Off to the Clifton suspension bridge. The hardy climbers went down 130 steps to a cave to view the bridge from a different angle. But I was happy up top.
We lined up along the wall and did two songs for a small but appreciative audience!
Back on the bus to the centre of Bristol and another bit of Banksy street art
We walked towards the river and set up for a pop up concert but it rained. So along the wharf for lunch and a wine.
We tried again after lunch and succeeded.
The highlight of the day was going to St Stephen’s Cathedral. we had been invited uk join a local choir for a concert in the cathedral.
They made us so welcome. their musical director. Beth is from Brisbane but living in Bristol. Our Musical Dircector Jac is from this area but lives in Brisbane.
They made contact and set up this joint concert.
We rehearsed the song we were to sing together ‘What the World Needs Now’ It sounds great. And the choir. – all women were so friendly.
Each one of us received a hand written post card from one of the choir. What a thoughtful thing to do.
We also were treated to a cream sherry. Delicious and were told it is medical. Good for singers throat.
The concert started and we sat in the church and listened.
They sang about 5 songs. Then our turn.
The acoustics in the church were beautiful. I’m sure it enhanced our singing.
We finished with our joint song. What a great experience. I think this will be a highlight of our tour.
Back on to the bus to Bath and a few photo opportunities. The Royal Crescent is as i remember from 1976. Very elegant. Though the grass was under construction. A Robbie Williams concert is coming up so they were constructing the stage.
We walked as a raggedy group towards the city centre. Passing the Jane Austen Centre. It’s the 250th Anniversary for Jane and there are special celebrations everywhere
A group of girls emerged all dressed in period costumes which is a better sight than some of the hens groups we have seen around Brighton and now Bath.
Some outrageous and sometimes tacky dress ups have been spotted!
It was more Gin o’ clock so we found a great gin bar and tried a few of the gin combinations. We paid for 1 but after awhile the waitress appeared with a trio of different gins and a bottle of tonic.
We decided to head towards the beach. In summer they come alive with ’sunbathers’ But summer is struggling this year.
It rained most of the way.
But as we arrived at Lyme Regis the sun struggled out.
This is a lovely area of Devon and with its dramatic coastline is known as the Jurassic Coast.
Picture in the window of the Lyme Regis gallery.
We were able to walk in the afternoon sun / it doesn’t get dark until around 9pm.
We visited the Jane Austen gardens which sit above the little harbour and Cobb Beach. They have a sculpture walk to enjoy along with the views.
We saw a statue in honour of Mary Anning an English fossil collector dealer and palaeontologist she discovered two rare dinosaur fossils.
The views along the coast were stunning.
The swim cabins.
There were a few hardy souls swimming, standup paddle boarding and sailing. With a 9pm sunset people enjoy activities for hours after work. If only the weather were warmer.
Visiting seaside towns is unmistakable. The smells …..fish and chips in the air, people queuing for ice cream, the sea gulls crying out, kids struggling to play on the pebble beaches , a few oldies camped outside their beach cabin out of the breeze hoping for some sun.
Postcards in the stands outside the shops, the beautiful iron lights with scrolls of shells.
Little boats competing for a spot in the harbour.
The architecture is very English
We walked for quite awhile stretching our legs – especially up the steep paths off the gardens perched above the town and harbour.
It was nice to sit and rest on the mosaic bench. I think I’ll design one for our garden at home.
Time for a G&T then dinner of fish at a restaurant on the sea front.
What better way to discover an area than to be with people who live there and really love it.
Bill, is originally from Australia and Marie France is French though has lived in the UK for many years.
They packed us into Bill’s two door Mercedes soft top and off we went.
Rocky came with us today and ‘sang’ along to the opera playing on the radio!
We drove through the South Downs and luckily the sun was out. It looked so beautiful with all its shades of green. Marie France used to come over from France and ride a pony through the area. A wonderful carefree childhood.
We went to their golf club which has an hotel on site. It’s also where MF does her aqua class and Pilates. Bill plays golf weekly and tennis 3 times a week. They are both very fit. And are about 9 years older than me!!
By now it was time for lunch so we stopped at one of the many little country pubs, The Dragon for lunch. It’s what is known as a gastro pub. No, you don’t get gastro. You get beautiful food!
We sat in the sun in the garden and I enjoyed my first English Pimms.
We all slept well in our adventure wonderland and hit the breakfast buffet at 8.30 to fuel up for the trip to the theme park today.
Breakfast is pandemonium : lots of mums, dads, doting Nani’s and a posse of kids mostly under 12. The buffet caters for the tastes of Malays, Chinese, Indian and assorted other nationalities. Families tucking into rice dishes, curries, sugary chocolate cereals. Our Ollie went straight to the egg station. He got his 3 scrambled eggs. I had an omelette. Pete had curry and roti. Something he had grown to like when living in in KL. Coffee out of a machine had to do for my 1 cup a day coffee fix.
Lego men at each of the food stations.
Thumping music greeted us at the gates to Adventure World. We were there for the warm up session at the main stage. Then the countdown started. We joined in with the excited crowd : fireworks and the gates opened.
Straight to the drive a boat then the driving school.
They give driving lessons and have a classroom session while they wait for their turn: then the children all get a car and drive around a miniature Lego town. Ollie chose the police car. When finished they earn a drivers license.
Pete has all the rides planned out. We did the Ninjago ride and the adventure one a bit like a Raiders of the Lost Arc.
We walked – in the heat, enjoying every minute. The rides are amazing. Ollie found his ‘brave’ and went on the roller coasters. Even I went on one after a gap of 30 odd years! Amazing what one will do for a grandchild.
Our last ride before returning to the hotel for a break and a well deserved rest, was the jet ski . You ride around a pond with spectators bombing you as you pass. We came off dripping wet which actually felt good in the heat.
Leaving, we passed the miniature worlds. All surrounding countries made out of Lego.
A bite to eat at the food mall next to our hotel then back to the room to change and rest.
Dragging ourselves off the bed we re entered the park at 4 for another two hours.
Fire engines race Pete and Ollie pumped their engine to the fire.
A few more rides. Repeating those Ollie loved. A visit to the build-a-car section. Inside and air conditioned it was a treat.
The day finished with a huge rainstorm. We got drenched walking the 200 metres back to the hotel.
A change of clothes. Dinner and another dance party!
Bed felt so good.
Tomorrow travel back to Singapore to Changi for our flight to Penang.
I’m sitting writing this post at Singapore Zoo. It 9.35 and Pete and Ollie are having one more walk around the night time trails and I’m admitting defeat and having a beer under a fan.
The Night Creatures show
After a long day yesterday and the night hawker markets we were up and out at 8.30 after Pete and Ollie had had a swim in the big pool. This 5 year has stamina ! Takes after me I like to think.
We had breakfast at Maxwell food markets. Ollie wanted eggs and they come half runny boiled eggs that you open into a saucer and dip toast into.
I prayed the eggs were fresh as he polished them off and drank his fresh orange juice.
Following a walk around Chinatown we got the train to the Gardens by the Bay. These gardens are spectacular. It was hot walking along the river to get to the gardens but once there it was an oasis. Cool inside with multi levels you start at the top and walk down gradually.
Planning our visit to the gardens
There’s a magnificent water fall, crystal gardens, a forest room. All beautifully presented and not crowded. I bought our tickets through Klook, an online discounted ticket agency.
It worked beautifully. I bought a combined ticket for the Gardens, the flower hall and the night safari at the zoo. We’re going there tonight.
Ollie loved the gardens and Pete and I are so impressed with how everything works.
We moved onto the Flowers of the World and they had a Japanese gardens exhibition. Perfect as I’m going to Japan later in the year.
In front of the cherry blossoms
The cherry blossoms exhibition was like being in Japan.
Back out side the heat was picking up. We stopped for a beer and gelato before heading into the Science Museum. the building itself is worth visiting. Shaped like a lotus flower you enter via a bridge over the most beautiful lotus flowers.
The lotus by night. From the taxi after the zoo.
There were a few paying exhibitions including the Iris Van Herpen fashion exhibition I saw last year in Brisbane.
We opted for the kids activities which kept Ollie occupied for quite awhile.
Starting to get tired.
Hunger was getting to us now so Ollie and I headed back on the blue downtown train line to the food markets where we polished off dumplings for lunch. Pete was keen to have his bone broth soup so went a bit further to another hawker market specialising in that dish. $10 he said and he couldn’t eat it all.
We met up back at the hotel for a swim in the very large hotel pool. What a treat. Into the room for a rest before our nighttime booking at the Zoo.
It rained heavily – typical tropical downpour. A bit a rumbly thunder. it was great to look at lying on bed by the huge window.
It was still rainy when we left so caught a taxi. It took nearly an hour to get there by 7pm and cost $45 Singapore. It’s well organised and I stood in the line for the night train while Pete bought some satay chicken for Ollie. He’s also hungry a lot of the time. The line took about 20 mins. Perfect timing.
We got the front three seats and had a perfect view. It was amazing. We saw animals standing quite close to where the train crept along the narrow road in the ‘jungle’
It was hard to get a good photo but we saw lions, cheetah , rhino, elephants, bison, bears, deer, the list goes on.
From the train we went to the Creatures of the Night show and saw, and owl fly in, hairy pigs, hyenas, cheetah. All visited the stage on cue to eat something planted for them then quietly leave.
The show finished around 9 and Pete and Ollie de used to walk the night loop setting once again the animals we’d seen from the train.
I sat having a beer waiting. One tired little boy and his tired dad arrived back so we made our way out to the taxi and after 5 minutes in the car Ollie fell asleep.
There is a distinct sound to tropical rain. It absolutely pelts down and the trees surrounding the house make dripping and drooping sounds.
Another swim in the rain followed by a simple breakfast. Life here is uncomplicated and quiet. If only we weren’t so worried about Jo.
We walked through the pelting rain to one of only two restaurants which are only open on odd days and odd hours. Today it’s open. We got big cups of coffee ( $16) and sat alone until a group of 4 came in with a local woman and sat near us.
Turns out they are journalists covering this area for a tourism promotion! Not a great time to be here. They shared their sweet pandan rolls with us and Paula our housekeeper arrived to chat and take them back to the house for more photos.
We went onto the Cocos Malay Museum. It’s small and the sign outside advises that if it’s locked ( it wasn’t ) to go to the shire office nearby and get the key.
We got in and spent some time absorbing what life would have been like. The Clunies-Ross family ran a huge copra business here. They employed many Malay people who stayed and became Australian citizens when they voted to stay with Australia.
We felt the museum would benefit from a retired person like Steve to add explanations to their displays. Perhaps he should offer to return and fiend time doing that.
We had ordered some curry puffs and spring rolls at the restaurant and went back to collect them. I got talking to the young man who took our money. ( 16 pieces for $54). Thomas from NZ met Ammanah when he moved to Perth. She was studying. They fell in love and I imagine it would have been hard for her Muslim family to accept Thomas. He decided to move to Cocos with her , convert to Islam and marry. He’s now employed by the local Council to run their waste management program.
They were just lovely to chat to and ask about life on Home Island. It’s very different to life on West Island. Home island is where the Cocos Malays live. Some travel back and forth for work.
Back at the house we shared our food with Wolf and Marion our Putin admirer.
Once again the afternoon was spent reading and playing a banangram. It was pouring. no wifi.
The other two couples usually eat and go to bed very early. So I prepared a cheese plate to share and we sat with Greg, Bruce and Atsuko for awhile. This is a dry island though guests at the house can bring some alcohol with them. You can’t buy it here. We’ve had a very small gin each evening. That’s it!
Our evenings are spent reading. And Steve seems to be able to sleep from 8.30 till 7. Amazing.
We’re hoping for news about our flight tomorrow evening at 6pm. It’s not looking promising. Jo and Martyn still have no idea of their medivac retrieval. Imagine if it were life threatening.
frans travel tales 